


the things i have been keeping to myself

by h0neytxt



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Hacker Beomgyu, Hitman AU, Hitman Yeonjun, M/M, Yeonbin, bestfriends tyunning, flirty Yeonjun, how to do tags tbh, idk what is this crap pls, shy Soobin, taegyu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21802024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h0neytxt/pseuds/h0neytxt
Summary: Yeonjun was a hitman, before he faked his own death. Deciding that being in the field for too long isn't good for anyone, he decided that faking his own death is the only way out alive. From United States to South Korea, he decided living among his friends that The Union doesn't know about is the safest way out.After some time, maybe The Union isn't that oblivious about his status. He couldn't keep it low anymore for the sake of feigning innocence in front of his friends. The Union recruited him again, and he had to do his last mission before he would actually get his hands off these filthy matters.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 9
Kudos: 78





	1. s

1st October 2018, London. 

" Agent Daniel is dead ?" The question was asked slowly, as though they were still digesting that such an impossible occurrence had become reality.

" Yes, sir. On the mission targeting politician Max Will, he was stabbed and pushed into the Anacostia River by Agent Raizel. " 

" Raizel? Raizel Loyard ?" The man inquired, aghast. 

" Yes, sir. " 

" Raizel Loyard killed Daniel Choi? You must be joking ." 

" I'm afraid I'm not, sir. I believe they had unresolved disputes in the past, regarding Daniel surpassing Raizel in staff ranking. Raizel seemed furious about that ," 

" You don't really think a...a fall in a river after being stabbed could end Daniel's life, do you ?" 

" The report indicate he was unprepared. All the guns, grenades, and ammunition that Daniel had been using were found in his hotel room. " 

“ Why would he go out without taking precautions ?!" He roared, his face a mirror of the remorse he felt. His best agent, and more importantly, a man he trusted was gone. 

" It was reported that he went out for a stroll, probably to enjoy the night breeze. Agent Raizel had been feigning kindness towards Agent Daniel for quite some time, which may have caused the latter to think of him as trustworthy. " 

" Where is his corpse ?" 

" The agents that were transferred to Washington this morning kept an eye and saw a corpse being taken out from the river, but unfortunately it wasn’t Daniel. We have concluded that Raizel discarded of Daniel's corpse, in an attempt to not to leave any evidence ," 

" Thank you for reporting, Hazel .” He swallowed, “ You may leave now ," 

" Yes, sir ," 

  
*** 

  
2nd October, 2018, Seoul. 

The flight was set to arrive at 11:57 a.m. It’s been thirty minutes since that. 

Beomgyu waits, holding a sign made of cardboard. His heart quickening, he waits for the passengers to walk into the lounge. After five years, anyone would be nervous. 

Then, the automated door slides to reveal a line of people approaching in the corridor. First comes a woman, two children clinging to her, as she rapidly talks on a phone. A middle-aged man follows her into the lounge, trying to downplay his figure by wearing clothes that don’t fit. 

He is followed by people Beomgyu doesn’t notice, eyes searching for someone. Each passing second brings awful thoughts. What if he was stopped at customs? What if he missed his flight? What if- 

The arrival of a tall figure cuts through his thoughts. Even here, even after all the waiting, Beomgyu lets out a breathless laugh.

You walk like a model, Beomgyu had once teased him. Now, when he is wearing ripped jeans and a white shirt inside a large black coat, yellow Rayban glasses, and the black cap he's adjusting on his head, the effect is striking. Even amongst a crowd, Daniel stands out. 

He’s only got a sling bag as hand-carry luggage. It made sense that he would travel light.

" Hyung !" Beomgyu waves, smiling from ear-to-ear. 

The older has to laugh as he walks around the barricade, and pulls him into a hug. 

" It's good to see your face again ," Daniel's Korean is a little hesitant after months of disuse, and he smells of a weird combination of metal and candy. Beomgyu tightens the hug, murmuring, " Me too." 

" How have things been for you ?" Daniel asks, ruffling the younger's hair. " Bearable ," Beomgyu shrugs. 

" And ," The taller snorts, indicating the sign Beomgyu made, " What is this ?" 

Beomgyu had written, ‘Welcome back, Hyung!♡’, in bold, flashy marker, and coupled it with poorly drawn flowers that filled in the rest of the empty space. " It was to welcome you! Isn't it pretty ?" Beomgyu grins, fishing for compliments. 

" The flower looks like it's dying. Get rid of it ," Daniel remarks, turning to walk out. Beomgyu hesitates for a second, momentarily speechless at the older's outrageously ungrateful behavior. He clicks his tongue, folds the cardboard in half and shoves it inside nearest rubbish bin, following.

" Did you do everything I asked ?" Daniel fixes his rayban before it can slide down his nose, " Yeah. Almost all the documents are ready, and the corpse is...taken care of. But I can't fabricate your DNA, of course.” Beomgyu zips open his backpack, now wearing it at his front. 

Daniel nods, and they step out into a separate, less crowded corridor, " It's more than enough. Thank you so much, Beomgyu. " 

" Anytime. Since Agent Daniel is dead now, here's your Korean ID ," Beomgyu holds the cards out to the Daniel, who fluidly takes them and puts them in an inner pocket without even glancing at them. 

" Also.. " Beomgyu hesitates, causing Daniel to stop walking and look at him seriously," What ?"

" Can you.. drive ?" Beomgyu asks cautiously, holding his breath. 

"...Yes, why ?" Daniel stares at the latter, nonplussed, "Oh thank God." Beomgyu lets out the breath he was holding, and thrusts another card at him. Daniel stares at it, dumbfounded. It's a driving license.

" You...Did you really fake a driving license without knowing whether I could drive or not?" Daniel asks, shaking his head. 

"Hey! How could I have known about that? All I knew was you went around kil-" 

He quickly cuts off Beomgyu in a pointed whisper, "-Hey! Daniel's dead, remember?" 

"Right," Beomgyu purses his lips, and they continue walking.

They make it out of the airport, not stopping anywhere since Daniel didn't carry luggage. It's cloudy today, with a chance of rain. They walk on the grey pavement, Daniel just slightly ahead.

Suddenly, Beomgyu halts again to fumble with something in his back pocket. Daniel keeps walking, and doesn't realize that he's leaving the younger behind, until Beomgyu calls, "Hyung !"

He turns back, and were it not for his reflexes born from practice, he would have dropped the car keys Beomgyu tosses at him. He looks at the key and laughs, 

" A Lamborghini ?" Beomgyu catches up, smiling mischievously, " I may have transferred a bit of money from your account to mine for this ," Daniel raises an eyebrow, impressed at the younger's ability. Banks had the toughest mainframes to hack into. 

" Welcome back from the dead, Choi Yeonjun ," Beomgyu links their arms together as the older resists half-heartedly.

"Choi Yeonjun? That's not a bad name," He admits, causing Beomgyu to grin, satisfied to hear a compliment.

In the parking lot, Beomgyu heads straight for the sleek car parked by a valet in a protected zone, and shows the guard his ID when prompted.   
"Let's put your driving license to good use." He says, heading over to the passenger side of the car and opening the door. 

Choi Yeonjun only smiles as he sits opposite him, in the driver's seat.


	2. i

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [edited]

5th October 2018.

"You have been lying here, doing nothing but eat and sleep for.. Hmm.. How much time ?" Beomgyu pretended to think, " Yeah, three days now! I didn't fake IDs for you to be a sloth! Learn how to clean up after yourself!"

Beomgyu threw a pair of trousers at Yeonjun, who lay on the sofa like a piece of dried persimmon. "Wait a few more days, I'm jetlagged," Yeonjun yawned. This was the same Nickelodeon cartoon he watched a few hours ago. Or was it yesterday? He lost track of time. 

"Who gets so jetlagged they don't move for 3 days?" Beomgyu kicked the sofa from behind, sending tremors through Yeonjun.

"Let me be! I'm tired of chasing people and hiding for the past 5 years. Do you think killing people is easy?" Yeonjun glared.

"What made you think I wanted to know?" Beomgyu's face was scrunched up in disgust as he picked up dirty clothes from the floor to throw into the laundry basket.

"I'll start telling you if you bother me." Yeonjun pulled a sheet over himself.

Beomgyu sighed, feeling like a maid, "Alright, you want me to get out of your hair so much? Well then, this'll come as a pleasant surprise to you. Today, I'm meeting up with some friends. Don't do anything weird while I'm gone. Most importantly, don't even think of-"

Yeonjun sat up abruptly, his bones cracking. He didn't react to the sound at all, but his eyes were wide, looking straight at Beomgyu, who took a step back instinctively. 

This hyung is scary, he thought.

"What?"

"You have friends other than me?" Yeonjun asked, doe-eyed. 

Beomgyu stared at him, "...Obviously, why?"

"Introduce me to them!" Yeonjun said, smiling innocently. Beomgyu frowned. 

"Why?"

"I'm bored! And lonely! I could use a couple of friends. And if you agree...I promise to find a job, and not be so lazy all the time." 

"You don't really mean that," Beomgyu said, picking up the wrappers littering the area around the couch.

"Hey, I'm being honest! If you introduce your friends to me, I'll go to an interview tomorrow," Yeonjun held out his pinky, face as serious as one could be. 

Beomgyu rolled his eyes so hard that he felt like his contacts would get stuck but sighed. "We leave at 1. Be ready by then."

When Yeonjun sighed happily, Beomgyu added, "If you aren't presentable by exactly one, I'll leave without you." 

"Okay!" Yeonjun half-sang.

*** 

Yeonjun felt his situational awareness return the moment Beomgyu stopped outside a restaurant. Call it years of doing a job that required it, but Yeonjun felt that somehow that it had become second nature.

It seemed innocent enough from the outside, a relatively new building, with a neon-lighted sign that was currently off. It had huge windows in the front, but they weren't see-through. At least from where they were standing.

They walked inside the open doors, into a sun-lit, wide room with a wood-paneled floor. It was divided into four sections by low wooden walls, all of them containing tables and chairs. There was a booth that spanned an entire wall, but without those uncomfortable stools that were a common sight in America. It was fairly crowded, of course, being the time most people had lunch.

"Hyung, here!" Someone waved them over to the booth, and Beomgyu nudged Yeonjun painfully in the arm, as though he was blind and deaf, and then attempted to steer him over to them.

"I can walk, you know," Yeonjun hissed, snatching his arm out of Beomgyu's hold.

Beomgyu was all smiles though, ignoring Yeonjun's retort, making him feel a bit of jealousy. How dare Beomgyu not acknowledge- 

"Oh, you brought a friend," A younger boy in a red high-neck said in mild surprise, causing Yeonjun to direct his attention to the two, maybe three people that were Beomgyu's friends. 

"Yes, hello, I'm Choi Yeonjun," He bowed hesitantly, in the stiff way of someone who had practiced in front of a mirror, and perhaps it was obvious, because the boy was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and a leather jacket as an outwear. A boy asked, "Is he from abroad?"

"Yes. He came back three days ago." Beomgyu sat down beside the one who had just spoken.

"Really? Me too! I'm Hueningkai, by the way," The boy who had waved them over said in high-pitched, slightly accented Korean, which explained his slightly exotic features.

"Kang Taehyun, or Terry, if it's easier for you." The man beside Beomgyu said with a salute, sipping what looked like peach juice. 

Yeonjun lifted a brow. 

" Not my official name, if that's what you're going to ask. My abroad internet friends called me that because they can't pronounce Taehyun properly ," Taehyun smiled, kindly explained.

Yeonjun took a seat beside the man who hadn't spoken yet. He seemed to be avoiding Yeonjun's eyes. Shyness, Yeonjun thought.

"That's Soobin," Beomgyu said in response to Yeonjun's unasked question. 

Soobin's face colored slightly.

"So we have Beomgyu, Hyu-Hu-" 

"Hue-ning-kai," The boy sounded out each syllable, with the patient air of someone who'd done this many times before, "If it's too hard, just call me Kai."

"No, no, it's all right, I got it, Hue-ning-kai. Hueningkai."

The boy's face lit up, "You learned it faster than anyone else. Before you it was Taehyun, but he had to repeat it thrice."

"Okay, so we have Beomgyu, Hueningkai, Taehyun, Soobin, and me. Is that correct?"

"That's correct," Beomgyu said.

"So, how old are you?" Taehyun asked, out of the blue.  
"Sorry?"

" It's nothing personal ," Taehyun hastened to explain, swirling his straw around in the juice, " It's just that we want to know how to talk to you. "

" You know, politeness and such…" Hueningkai added, before trailing off and fumbling with his watch.

" Oh right! I'm 23, or... should I say 24 ?"

" Doesn't that mean…" Beomgyu paused, " Yeah, that means you're the oldest here."

" Really? How old are you guys ?"

" I'm 20 ," Hueningkai said.  
"Me too." Came Taehyun's voice.

"And Soobin is…I think 23?" Beomgyu half-asked, half-stated.

Yeonjun turned to address him, "Really?"

Soobin nodded, ears turning red at the tips.

"Sorry for taking away your status as oldest," Yeonjun said, sheepishly.

Soobin muttered something inaudible. Yeonjun leaned in closer, "What was that?"

"It's fine," Soobin said in a slightly louder voice, still determinedly staring at the polished wooden countertop.

"Oh. Thanks." Yeonjun turned back, where the others sat watching. "Is he always like that?"

"He takes a little time to warm up to strangers." Hueningkai said, "He was like that when I first met him too."

"But he's a good guy at heart. A real softie." Taehyun reassured.

"Yeah." Both Beomgyu and Hueningkai agreed.

"Well," Yeonjun said, still turned away, "I hope he gets used to me quickly. I'd like to be friends with you guys."

"I feel the same! You seem fun." Hueningkai blurted out in a burst of confidence, causing Beomgyu to start coughing excessively.

"Sorry...I just-I'm fine-" He choked.

Taehyun thumped him on the back, and Yeonjun was momentarily distracted after seeing Beomgyu tense under his touch, so he was slightly taken aback when Hueningkai asked, " Why were you abroad? Since when ?"

Beomgyu stopped coughing just as quickly as he had started, and he straightened up.

" I used to work there ," Yeonjun spoke with the same practiced, easy grace he had answered all their questions with.

" What kind of work ?" Hueningkai pressed on.

" In-in the private sector."

" Where in the private sector ?"

"Kai ," Taehyun spoke before Yeonjun could, " He's clearly not comfortable with these questions. Ask something else. "

" Oh ," Hueningkai's forehead creased as he frowned, " I'm sorry, I didn't realize. "

"Hey," Yeonjun reached over to pat his shoulder, " There's no need to apologize. I just left that life and started a new one, so I don't want to look back. "

" That makes sense. Okay, what's your favorite movie ?"  
"The Intern. Yours?"

"Begin Again. Have you seen it?"

"No, I haven't," Yeonjun admitted, "I'd like to watch it with you, though."

"Smooth. Mine is Inception." Taehyun said.

"And yours?" Yeonjun asked, turning to Soobin.

"Avengers: Infinity War," Soobin whispered, eyes trained on the countertop.

"You have taste." Yeonjun complimented, brows lifted in mild surprise.

" Why aren't you asking me what mine is ?" Beomgyu whined.  
" I don't like you, that's why. "

"Hyung!" Beomgyu gasped, clutching his heart, "I let you stay at my place and you say you don't like me? Friendship over."

"You're staying over at Beomgyu's?" Taehyun asked, trying to be light, but the implication was clear.

" Yes. Wait, no. I mean, not like that- We just…"  
"Live together?" Hueningkai supplied, stifling laughter.

"Yes, we JUST live together, nothing else," Beomgyu said hurriedly, trying to put an end to the topic.

Both Hueningkai and Taehyun opened their mouths to speak, but the arrival of a waiter cut them short.

***

"So, to be sure, we have two garlic bread, two regular pizzas, one large bottle of Coca-Cola, one large fries, and one large onion rings."

"That will be all, thank you." Taehyun smiled, and the waiter left. Beomgyu cleared his throat.

" So if this isn't too personal, which country did you live in ?" Hueningkai attempted again, causing Taehyun to sigh.

" The States, but sometimes I traveled to London. For reports and stuff. "

" I lived in the states too! I was born in Hawaii !"

" Really? Do you speak the language ?"

" No, but I do speak four others! Korean, Portuguese, English, and Mandarin. "

" Mandarin ?" Yeonjun said, switching to English.

" Yeah, I lived in China for a while before coming here.”

Yeonjun leaned back, "I know basic phrases in most common languages," He spoke in Portuguese, carefully enunciating the syllables, "But I can't go in-depth about any topic."

" What can you say in Mandarin ?" Hueningkai asked, also in Portuguese.

Yeonjun thought before answering in Mandarin, " Mandarin's a bit easier because I've studied it and it's so similar to Korean. But I'm not good at pronouncing the softer consonants. "

Hueningkai nodded in understanding.

" Guys, we're here too. Include us in your conversation.” Beomgyu said, feeling like this multilingual stuff had gone on long enough.

" Jealous ," Yeonjun muttered under his breath.

Soobin heard and smiled.

" Hm...What's your favorite color ?" Taehyun asked, " Mine is yellow ."

" I like green! And black." Hueningkai divulged excitedly.  
Yeonjun considered the question, "Blue. And purple."

"I like blue too." Soobin muttered, but no one except Yeonjun noticed. The oldest turned, and gave him a smile.

Just then, a different waiter appeared and put the fries, onion rings, garlic bread, and soft drinks in front of them.

" All right, guys. Eat first, talk later." Taehyun said, picking up a fry.

" I will eat well !" Hueningkai and Beomgyu said, purely out of habit before starting to fight over the garlic bread.

***

" Sometimes ," Taehyun mused, leaning back, "I realize that I'm very lucky to know people like you. Isn't it a beautiful coincidence that we met? The universe smiles upon us more often than we realize."

" Taehyun, the only thing I did was let you eat the last slice of pizza. You're acting like we took a bullet for you or something."

" That's a good metaphor, taking a bullet for someone ," Taehyun continued, resting his chin on his hand, thoughtfully nibbling at his slice of pizza, " It must take a whole lot of loyalty to be able to sacrifice your life for someone. Can you imagine that? Loving someone beyond your own life ?"

" Never ," Yeonjun said.

Hueningkai and Beomgyu glared at him, "Not you too!"

"Guys, let's be more honest, who would you take a bullet for?"

" Taehyun, stop ," Hueningkai begged, shooting Yeonjun an apologetic look, " Sorry, he gets like this every time we eat. "

" No, I really wanna know," Taehyun said, looking around, " Who here would take a bullet for me ?"

Everyone remained silent, but Beomgyu sneakily half-raised his hand when Taehyun was looking in the other direction.

" Me! Who would take a bullet for me ?" Hueningkai asked.

" Hmm, I would," Yeonjun said.

" Seems you and Kai have become very attached ," Taehyun said matter-of-factly, eyes zoned out of focus.

" If he's like this when sober, what's he like when he drinks ?" Yeonjun said with an attempt at humor.

Everyone shot him a don't-ask look, including Soobin.

" Isn't drink a beautiful way of knowing how someone feels about you ?" Taehyun closed his eyes, " Think about it, when you drink, you lower your defenses. Who you are when you drink is who you really are, deep-"

" -We're not getting deep over alcohol ," Hueningkai interjected.

" It's the truth, though."

"The truth makes people sad. It's better for our health to just talk about common, 'normal' things." Yeonjun said.

" This man ," Taehyun remarked to anyone who would hear, " Is an intellectual. I like him. You have good choice in friends, Beomgyu. " He placed his hand on Beomgyu's shoulder as if to say, "Well done."

"Is he indirectly complimenting himself?" Soobin whispered incredulously. Yeonjun nodded, looking the other way.

Beomgyu shook his hand off and returned to drinking his Fanta, but Yeonjun saw his cheeks turn a very light shade of pink.

" It's been great hanging out! Shall we go drinking sometime ?" Yeonjun asked.

" Yeah !" Hueningkai said, " Hold on, when? I'm busy most nights. "

" I'm free on Saturday." Taehyun said, and Beomgyu nodded, " Me too."

" I think I can do Saturday ," Hueningkai said. " What about you, Soobin?"

Everyone but Yeonjun turned. Yeonjun knew Soobin could handle being under the spotlight of everyone's attention, except his. The fact stung a little, but Yeonjun wasn't about to make it uncomfortable.

" Saturday is fine. Where should we meet ?" Came Soobin's voice from behind him. It was pleasant-sounding, clear.

" There's this great bar I went to with the company. You know Jin-sam street ?" Hueningkai asked.

The confused stares he got answered the question.

" I'll text the address to you. You have my number, right ?"

Beside him, Soobin nods along with Taehyun and Beomgyu.

" Great! Hey, Yeonjun, what's your number ?"

Beomgyu, who saw Yeonjun hesitate, replied, " I know it. Give me your phone, I'll add it for you."

Hueningkai wordlessly passed over his phone. Beomgyu typed for a few minutes, muttering, " So cluttered.", which caused Hueningkai to stare daggers at him.

A waiter walked up, holding a black cover like the one old books have. He handed it to Taehyun, who was closest.

"Should we split the bill?" Taehyun asked, opening the cover to see the receipt inside.

" No," Yeonjun said, taking out his wallet and opening it, " I'm the oldest, it's on me."

"But that's not-" Hueningkai began to protest.

" I was the one who met you guys, and I liked it. My treat. " Yeonjun gave the waiter his card.

Hueningkai huffed and crossed his arms.

After swiping it over a scanner, the waiter handed the card back to Yeonjun and picked up the now empty cover.

Beomgyu stood, " Yeonjun and I need to go somewhere, so we'll leave first, alright ?"

Yeonjun stood too, straightening his jacket. " See you on Saturday." He smiled brightly.

" Bye !" Hueningkai said, waving again.

" Bye." Soobin and Taehyun echoed, the former turning around to meet Yeonjun's eyes, before apparently cringing at himself so badly that he turned back around and covered his face with his hands.

And Beomgyu led him out of the shop.

***

It was almost bitingly cold outside the much warmer café. Yeonjun wished he had worn a scarf as he mounted the motorbike behind Beomgyu.

" Wear your helmet." Beomgyu said, strapping his own under the chin, " You don't want a fine, do you ?"

Yeonjun did as he was told. And he held on to Beomgyu when he turned the key and sped away.

***

"A phone?"

Beomgyu looked at Yeonjun in the way one looks at an intelligent child not understanding a concept.

"Yes, Yeonjun, a phone. You know, those rectangular things people have-"

"I know what a phone is, genius, I'm asking you why you're buying one for me."

Wow, Beomgyu thought, here I was thinking he was one of the best secret agents in the world.

"Hello?" Beomgyu snapped his fingers in front of Yeonjun's eyes, and took a deep breath, "Don't you know why people buy phones? To use them. Okay? To make calls, to talk to people. Everyone has a phone, literally everyone who can afford it. This is the age of information, and it's frankly just odd that you don't feel the need for one, even though considering your history you've probably come into contact with a lot of technology, I mean, look at me! I work with electronics, it's embarrassing my friend doesn't even want one. When Hueningkai asked for your number, you know how I felt? Dumb. You honestly make me fed up, Choi Yeonjun…"

If someone walked passed them, they would think that the boy in the brown outfit was older, as he scolding the ears off of a boy wearing a leather jacket and sneakers who was taller than him.

Weirder still, the taller boy actually looked ashamed, head bowed, and didn't argue back. The weirdest part, if you got within earshot, though, was that he was telling him off because he DIDN'T want to buy a phone. Who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to buy an expensive thing, especially someone of his age group?

"...and I'm sick of this useless attitude you have. You left that life to become normal, so act normal, okay? This is a normal thing. " Beomgyu finished, breathing heavily, hands on his waist.

" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you trouble or embarrassment ," Yeonjun said, still looking at his feet.

" I'm not mad at you, but it's becoming tiring. " Beomgyu closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

" Okay, Beomgyu, sorry ,”

"Try not to argue back at everything I say, all right? Don't look so sad, let's go."

***

"iPhone 11 Pro max?" Yeonjun repeated.

"It's the newest one. Pretty neat, but it isn't different at all from previous versions. Let's buy an android."

"Okay, you're the boss."

***

So Yeonjun wound up with a sleek, new phone, but Beomgyu firmly said he can't open it till they get home.

Outside, Yeonjun and Beomgyu walk to the motorbike, which Beomgyu parked in a side street. ("It's safer. And draws less attention.")

" So ," Yeonjun said, as they approached it, stepping into the side street, " What's going on between you and that boy, Taehyun ?"

In an instant, Beomgyu rounded on him, " What do you mean ?"

" You seemed.. How should I say this? You seemed like you like him."

" How could you tell? Am I that obvious ?"

" No? Yes? I don't know, you just seem...comfortable around him. "

" Like how ?" Beomgyu started to back him up into the wall, and Yeonjun could see that, so he tried to diffuse the situation.

" You sat next to him? Laughed with him? Blushed when he touched you? A lot of subtle stuff. "

Beomgyu's eyes were anxious, desperate, "Do you think he noticed ?"

" No. He's pretty oblivious. And you hide it well. I'm a different case, I used to work in details."

" Thank goodness ," Relief flooded into Beomgyu visibly, relaxing his tense posture, bowing his head as he closed his eyes.

" Why are you getting so dramatic? It's just a crush, it'll pass."

" I've been waiting for it to pass for three years now." Beomgyu's eyes opened, staring into the wall, " Every time I meet him, it intensifies, somehow."

Yeonjun shrugged, " Tell him then."

" And ruin a perfectly good friendship? No. I'm happy with just this. I don't want it to get awkward between us. "

" Okay, I don't want to interrupt, but I think we should get going. "

" You're right," Beomgyu said, turning around to walk the remaining distance, and unconsciously elbowing Yeonjun in the abdomen, only a little bit too hard.

Pinpricks of light burst behind his eyes as an immobilizing pain flashed through Yeonjun's body, and he slumped to the ground, eyes clenching shut. A sound escaped his throat, low and painful.

" What ?" Beomgyu turned around again, not comprehending what had happened, " Yeonjun, are-"

Yeonjun tried to move, maybe even stand up, but the second a muscle stretched in his torso, the pain returned, turning his vision black, and he keeled over, tears prickling in his eyes.

" What-" Beomgyu dropped to his knees, reaching out to his friend, who flinched horribly when Beomgyu carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, " Where-where does it hurt ?"

" My-"Yeonjun gasps for air in short bursts, breathing means he'll need to move his ribs, increasing the pain, " Stomach-"

" Okay, don't speak. Um...do you-do you want to go to a hospital ?"

When Yeonjun tried to answer, Beomgyu saw his mistake.

" Shit, you can't answer. All right...here-hold my hand ,” Beomgyu somehow managed to grasp the older's hand, which had previously been clenched into a fist, " Squeeze it once for yes, twice for no. Do you want me to take you to a hospital ?"

Yeonjun squeezed his hand twice, tears starting to trace their way down his face.

" Wait, what do you mean 'no' ?" Beomgyu asked, " You're in so much pain, where else will we…"

Sucking in a breath that knocked the earth out from under him, Yeonjun whispered, " Too many ," He shut his eyes, each word taking a toll on him, " Union…"

" No, they won't! I did your documents perfectly. You'll die if you stay like-" Beomgyu stopped cold.

Yeonjun held on to him so tightly that it took him a few seconds to pull his hand free, but when he saw it, his heart stopped, then restarted. The half of his hand that was in contact with Yeonjun's body had blood on it.

" Don't. move." Beomgyu fished around in his pocket for his phone and dialed 119.

Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu's sleeve, " No, don't-" His eyes rolled back in his skull, and his grip on Beomgyu slackened.

" Yeonjun? No-" A click sounded on the other end of the line, and an operator picked up, " Hello, this is 119, please state your emer-"  
“ M-My friend just fainted and there is a lot of blood, I don't know what happened b-but he is bleeding -"

" Slow down, please. Your friend is injured ?" The voice was female, calm.  
" Yes, he's unconscious and-"

" I've sent an ambulance to your location. They'll arrive in a few minutes. Describe what happened in detail, please."

"I…" Words failed him, as he crouched there. Everything had happened so fast, his mind was still trying to cope with the shock, " I don't know… I just…"

" What is your name, please ?"

"Beomgyu. Choi Beomgyu."

" Look around, what do you see?"

" I- A narrow street, my motorbike- and the sky ,"

" Look at your friend. From where is your friend bleeding ?"

" The-the stomach."

" Did he tell you about any prior injury in that area ?"  
" No, nothing ," Beomgyu shuts his eyes close, getting tired of this empty talks. He won’t be able to calm down anytime soon.

"How did this start?"

" I don't know ,” Beomgyu repeated helplessly, " We were just walking and all of a sudden he-"

" Did he give off any signs of injury earlier. Think about this carefully, any nausea, soreness or-"

" I don't… Wait, yes- When I accidentally touched his stomach earlier he- he did show pain but I thought it was a joke .."

" Okay, Beomgyu. I want you to tell me about Yeonjun. How old is he ?"

" 24."

" 24? Are you younger than him?"

" Y-yes,"

" How long have you known each other?"

" Uh...I think.. I think around six years?"

" That's quite a long time. Can you call him your best friend ?"  
"He..” Beomgyu looked at Yeonjun paled face. “ He is,"

" What does he like eating ?"  
"He...he likes Western cuisine the best."

"Western cuisine? Anything specific?"  
"Hamburgers and-hamburgers and pizza."  
"I agree. Those are delicious. What do-"

"I'm sorry, can you- can you please try something else ?” Beomgyu swiped his hair back, scooping Yeonjun’s head again not letting it to slide off of his lap.

" Something else? Hmm...how about we play a game ?"  
" What game ?"

" Count backward from 500, in groups of 3. Let's see if the ambulance gets here first, or you finish. Don't cut the call, okay?"

"All right, um…500, 496-no-497, 494, 491…488…"

Beomgyu had reached 200 before he heard the sirens, and when the paramedics got out, he told the operator one thing before hanging up, " They won ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay they all finally met :D leave comments and kudos, if you'd like to, thank you!


	3. n

" How's Yeonjun ?" Beomgyu asked the female doctor who was in charge of Yeonjun once she was seen out from the ward. " Ah.. First of all.. The wound is deep. He was stabbed, didn't he ?" The doctor asked for confirmation, and Beomgyu nodded hesitantly. 

" He was robbed few days ago ," Beomgyu stated an unnecessary explanation. The doctor nodded. " The knife was twisted inside, creating a bigger opening of the wound." 

  
Beomgyu was petrified. " T-Twisted? Wow, that hyung ," He felt annoyed, angry, frustrated, and every negative emotions. 

Yeonjun didn't say a word about this for days he had been here. So all that 'jetlags' was an excuse for him to rest because of his wounds? 

" And the bad news is his wound is infected." Doctor Sooyoung, as written on her tag, delivered the heart wrecking news. 

" What ?" Beomgyu was rigid once again. The doctor pursed her lips, and he pushed his hair back. Where did this all went wrong?

" When we examined the wound, we saw the old stitches. Did he.. perhaps stitched it by himself ?" Dr. Sooyoung asked. Beomgyu shook his head. " I have no idea ," He's disappointed. Doctor just nodded in response. 

" Okay. But seeing how impractical and messy the stitch was, he probably done it by himself, explaining the infection. ” Beomgyu shuts his eyes close at the information. 

“ So we stitched the wound again, and gave him antibiotics in his drip. He should be awake some hours from now." Beomgyu nodded. " Thank you, doc ,"

“ I can’t believe you !” Beomgyu grumbled, putting his backpack on the table beside the bed. The sight of the older laying down the bed was heart-breaking. 

For the first time, he looked vulnerable. For the first time, he looked helpless. Beomgyu looked away before he could build any tears. 

  
“ Bastard. You were acting so tough earlier. What, flirting with Soobin hyung? Even promising him to go out tomorrow. How are you going to do that in this condition now ?” Beomgyu sighed, and his notification goes off for several times. 

“ What now ,” He pulled out his phone from his pocket.

  
Jisung: Hey, problem  
Jisung: SPI detected an unusual action  
Jisung: Beom, this is serious  
Jisung: Where are you? Call me once u see this ASAP

Beomgyu’s lips curled into a smile. That’s slow enough for them to figure out. Long pressing on number 4, the speed dial brought him on the phone to Jisung. 

  
“ Hey, where were you? Did you read my messages? How to solve this ?” The panic is obvious in Jisung's voice as he speaks. 

“ It’s okay. We’re proceeding like what we planned. I intentionally left a hole for them to figure out. It took them 3 days to find it, that’s slow than what I expected ,” Beomgyu chuckled, unzipping his backpack. He pulled out his laptop, keyed in the password and start coding.

“ What? So it was intentional? Then I put up firewalls for nothing ?” Jisung scoffed on the other line. He’s disappointed to say the least. 

“ No, you did well. It makes them harder to find the next clue, but we are going to fool a whole company. So, that would only affect them a little.” Beomgyu explained, holding the phone between his ears and shoulders while his hands typing the codes fast.

“ So what do we do now ?” Jisung asked, voice now relaxed. “ You don’t have to worry about anything. I-” 

  
“ Beomgyu, the SPI is down ,” Jisung starts to panic again. “ Already ?” Beomgyu is now shocked. It was beyond his expectation. But again, what did he expect? It’s a thousand versus two battle.

“ Yeah. As we speak, they are working on the other line ,” The sound of keyboard typing was heard from the phone call. 

It’s obvious that the younger is putting up another firewall so The Union wouldn’t get the hint too quick, to be where Beomgyu wanted them to.

“ Jisung, relax. This is a labyrinth coding project. They won’t get straight to the point even if they break this one. There’s about 50 more to come.” Beomgyu sighed. 

  
“ At this rate, your labyrinth couldn’t last even for a whole month. We got a big company tailing us behind. And there’s only you and I.. Before they get their hands on your friend ,” Jisung complains, hands still busy. 

  
“ That’s right..” Beomgyu turned to Yeonjun, who’s still unconscious. 

“..But let’s buy time as much as we can, okay ?” Jisung sighed, and then replied with a weak “ okay ,” before hanging up.

“ They’re on the move already ?” was the first thing Yeonjun asked when he woke up, startling Beomgyu who was building another website. 

The younger jumped at the sudden voice as the only thing he heard for hours is his own fingers typing the keyboard. 

“ Yeah. They kind of did ,” Beomgyu scratched his head, pausing his work. “ How are you feeling ?”

Yeonjun looked up to Beomgyu, snickering. The younger looks worse than himself. “ How long have you been staying up ?” 

  
“ Since you were admitted. Couldn’t sleep,” Beomgyu answered nonchalantly, hands still busy as he keeps his eyes on the laptop. Yeonjun turned to the clock, sighing. 

He hates to see people around him suffer, but Beomgyu is the only one he could ask for help for now. 

And the thought of him not being able to control things.. That infuriates him even more.

  
“ Never felt better. Can I get discharged now ?” Yeonjun sarcastically replied, vision attached to the ward's door in case there’s any authorities coming in. Beomgyu shuts his eyes close. 

Knowing Yeonjun, he wouldn’t stay in a building full of medical equipment. He hated the smell of antibacterial disinfectants the most. 

  
“ No. You had 5 stitches. And an infection as the cherry on top. I know you hated it here, but can you please be patient for a bit ?” Beomgyu sighed. He knows this amount of advice won’t suffice to convince the latter.

The older frowned. “ I got 5 stitches, and.. this.. painful drip ?” Yeonjun looked up then tugged on the tube, making Beomgyu panic. “ Antibiotics !” Beomgyu detached the older's hand away from the IV. 

“ They are antibiotics. Don’t tug at it like that.” Beomgyu lets out the breath he was holding. His soul felt like it’s being pulled out every time Yeonjun did something crazy. And Yeonjun always do crazy things.

  
“ Yeah. That.. and I got treatment. So why else would I stay here ?” Yeonjun tried to peel the tape that holds the drip needle from his back of the palm, but Beomgyu stopped him fast. 

“ You need to stay for the further treatments. Stop doing fucked up things and be a normal person for once ,” Beomgyu groaned, pulling Yeonjun's right palm away from his left.

  
“ But I promised Soobin ,” Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu right in the eyes.   
If Beomgyu was gullible, he’d fall for those sparkly eyes. But Beomgyu is glad that he knew every of Yeonjun’s qualities, and his ability to persuade people.

“ I'll tell him you’re warded. Hyung is naive, but he’s not stupid ,” Beomgyu turned away, reaching for his phone when Yeonjun pulled him by his shoulder back. “ What ?” He questioned, eyes widened.

“ I don’t want to cancel the plan.” Yeonjun’s brows furrowed, showing displeasure.   
“ Then, you’re meeting him in this condition ?” Beomgyu scoffed. He needs to be stern because Yeonjun didn’t set his priorities straight. 

  
What if the stitches breaks again? And the wound splits open again?

“ This is nothing. Since the doctors stitched it, it must be better than stitching the wound by myself, right ?” Yeonjun smirked, wincing a bit as he pulls the IV needle out at once. Beomgyu’s eyes widened and he gasped, a little bit too loud. 

Once again, he felt like his soul left his body. He’s considering of practicing astral projection if these are the things he'd have to deal every day.

“ Hyung !” He pulled tissues from the nightstand, as many as he could, as the blood drips from Yeonjun's hand. 

“ Why do you keep acting like a maniac on daily basis ?” His eyes widened, mouth wide agape, palms full of tissues. 

He held Yeonjun’s bleeding hand with the tissues, and gave him a deathly glare. The glare he received isn’t very different from what he had given.

“ You know I only say things twice. And I said, I want to get out of here ,” Yeonjun pulled his hand away, sitting up.   
Beomgyu sighed, nodding weakly. “ Let's just get away ,” The younger gave in, leaving the tissues to Yeonjun to handle by himself.

Only wiping the blood briefly, Yeonjun strips out of the hospital gown. But as soon as his feet reached the cold hospital tiles, the pain in his abdomen strikes unexpectedly. 

Yeonjun gasped, gathering Beomgyu’s attention. “ Hyung ,” He holds Yeonjun by the shoulders as the older whimpers in agony. Stabilizing his breathing pace, he stood up straight. 

  
He can’t back down because of this wound. Yeonjun will never admit that Raizel actually harmed him, and managed to affect him along the way.

Yeonjun’s ego is too big. Yeonjun defeated the older plenty of times, but his pride is scratched. 

Who told you to trust him with you life, Daniel?

“ Hyung ,” Beomgyu called out in concern when the older slapped his hand away. Yeonjun walked to the closet hurriedly, wanting the pain to disappear. 

Right after he opened the small cabinet, he snatched his black shirt and leather jacket, which was folded meticulously. 

As the older change, Beomgyu puts his laptop to the sleep mode and packs his belongings too. He pulled a couple plies of tissues, wiping the blood that dripped on the floor. 

“ Um, what’s going on here ?”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry i took so much time in writing this, and i decided to publish it by chapters. i'm sorry that i am still lacking in various ways, but i'm taking time for myself to improve and hoping that everyone would be satisfied with this AU. if you would leave kudos and comment your opinions, i would be forever grateful! thank you for reading, nevertheless.
> 
> \- sincerely, al.


End file.
